Cabinet construction



April 18, 1939. w GRAY 2,155,128

CABINET coNsTRucTlofi I Filed Feb. 25, 1957 INVENTOR. 414 r512 flue/r G Aw awkqw AT'i' URNE Patented Apr. 18, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,155,128 CABINET CONSTRUCTION Walter Park Gray, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Corporation, a corporation of Application February 2 6 Claims.

My inventionrelates to the manufacture of cabinet or box-like constructions of ornamental character, the main body portions of which are formed from sheet stock by a bending, stamping or forming operation, and in the preferred embodiment of a single piece of sheet stock such, for example, as sheet metal, although other sheet stocks such as hard fiber and the like may, of course, be employed.v I shall describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of a radio cabinet of generally rectangular cross section and comprising five sides, there being an open side.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple, economical but sturdy construction of this character which nevertheless is highly ornamental. The various other objects of my invention will be set forth-hereinafter or will be clear to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications. For a better understanding of the exemplary form of the invention, reference is now made to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material from which the cabinet may be made.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the blank completely shaped and one of the corner members in place.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken across a corner of the cabinet of 'Fig. 2 along the lines 3-3.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken across a corner of the cabinet along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along a corner lengthwise as along the lines 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of a portion 'of a body member and a portion of a corner or edge member.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of the under side of the corner or edge member of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken across a corner of a cabinet and showing a difierent form of corner or edge member.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I take a piece of suitable sheet material and by dies' or otherwise cut it into the form of a suitable blank for making the body of a cabinet. The central portion of the blank will form one side of the body and projecting therefrom there are the portions which form the contiguous sides. These latter portions have side edges designed to be bent to form engagement means. The .blank is formed generally into the shape of the desired box or cabinet and then edge or corner members are put in place thereon.- These edge or 5, 1937, Serial N... 127,738

corner members join the edges of contiguous side portions of the blank and have engagement with the turned-over portions thereof. The edge or corner members are of ornamental shape, preferably. They may be putin place in a number of ways. If preformed of metal, wood, Bakelite or other synthetic resin, they may be engaged with the side members at a corner of the box or cabinet and driven into place, or the edge or corner members may becast in place by putting the blank in a suitable mold and forcing into interstices of the mold a suitable molding composition such as a phenolic resin composition or a casting metaL'or a die casting metal or the like.

Coming to the specific embodiment of my invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 a blank I so shaped as to provide a panel member 2 and con-- tiguous side members 3, 4, 5 and 6. Each of these side members has extensions 1 designed to be bent over as will hereinafter be described. The blank is cut out intermediate adjacentones of these extensions as at 8.

The blankby means of suitable forming dies may be pressed or otherwise formed into the shape indicated in Fig. 2 where the several panel members 2 to 6 inclusivearecaused substantially to lie at right angles to each other. Preferably," for appearance sake, the corners of the cabinet structure are rounded as indicated at 9. The extensions l on the panel members are bent inwardly as clearly shown in this figure, and the cut-out portions 8 are now so disposed as to permit, if desired, the driving in of the edge or corner members. These members when shaped as hereinafter set forth, are driven in from the side of the structure occupied by the panel 2. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown an edge or corner member of a preferred style. This may be thought of as a preformed corner member designed for incorporation into the structure of Fig. 2 after the blank has been formed up as shown. The corner member consists of a body l0 which may, if desired, be generally quarter'- round in cross section. The under surfaces indicated at ll are so formed as to pass the edges adjacent the cut out 8. The outer surface indijacent the cut out portion 8 so as to finish oi! the completed cabinet. It will be noticed in Figs. 6 and 7 that the underside of thisextension forms a sort of shoulder which is higher than the surface It of'the member adjacent the grooves M, by the thickness of the sheet stock in the portion 8. I

The relationship of thiscorner or edge-member to the blank body will be appreciated best fromthe sectional views in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In these figures like indicia have been 'used to indicate like parts. v

In the particular construction shown, the en- Bagement of the turned-over portion 1 in thegrooves l3 and I4 may be a frictional engagement, or it may be an engagement tightened by the springiness of the walls and produced by a slight over bending in forming up the blank, or the wall members may be fastened to the edge or corner members in any way desired, as by pinning or the use of screws, bolts or rivets. If the edge or corner members are made of metal, the wall members may be fastened to them by soldering, ordinary brazing, hydrogen brazing, welding or otherwise. Also it will be within the scope of my invention to provide on the edge or corner members an additional rib portion shown at II in Fig. 3, giving to the slots l3 and an Ir-shape configuration so that the side walls,

after the edge or corner members have been driven in from the end, cannot be dislodged therefrom.

It is, however, also within the scope of my invention to place the formed up blank in a mold 6, for example, have been embedded in a castmember ll having portions contacting with overlying and underlying if desired, the edges adjacent the cut out portion 8.

Finally it will be noted that in making my construction, and in using the edge or corner member shown in Figs. 6 and '7 the blank may be partially formed up and then during a later stage of the formation the turned-over extensions 'l of the side walls may be given a press git in the grooves II and I 4 by means of suitable The particular type of structure shown is, as has been indicated. a radio cabinet. The radio set may be placed therein through the open side and may have on that side an ornamental panel containing the various controls and the loud speaker grill, or if preferred, the panel member 2 or any 01' the side members may be cut out to form passageways from the control means, and cut out. also to term a loud speaker grill in -which the open side of the cabinet may be left open.

It will also be understood that the particular exemplary embodiment of my invention is not a limitation thereon and'that my invention may be employed in the manufacture of all sorts of boxes and cabinets, particularly those designed for permanent use and to have a decorative as well as a durable character. Thus, by way of an example, cabinets for surgical apparatus may readily be formed in this way.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in my invention as desired, without departing from the spirit of it, and that the particular ornamental or utilitarian configurations either of the panel members 'or of the edge or corner members do not form a limitation upon my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: e

1. In a structure of the class described, a body of sheet stock bent to provide a main panel and a plurality of other panels integral therewith, said other panels having approaching but noncontacting side edges, and comer members for said structure cast in place to form ornamental edges for said structure and to join said approaching edges of the panel members.

2. In a structure of the class described, across shaped blank of sheet metal bent to form at least four oppositely disposed panels and a connecting panel, said oppositely disposed panels having approaching but non-contacting side edges, said side edges beingbent over to form engagement means, and corner finishing members engageable with said edge portions and having recesses therein to accept said bent over portions, the corner portions of said blank being cut away where two of said first mentioned panels join said last mentioned panel to. permit insertion of said edge finishing members from the side of said last mentioned panel. x

3. In a structure of the class described, a cross shaped blank of sheet .metal bent to form at least four oppositely disposed panels and a connecting panel, 'said oppositely disposed panels having approaching but not-contacting side edges, said sideedges being bent over to form engagement means, and comer finishing members engageable with said edge portions and having recesses therein to accept said bent over portions, the corner portions of said blank being cut away where two of said first mentioned panels join said last mentioned panel to, permit insertion of said edge finishing members from the side of said last mentioned panel, said edge finshing portions being enlarged at one end to cover said cut away portions.

4. A process of making cabinets or the like which comprises taking a substantially cross shaped blank of sheet stock, forming it to present at least five connected panels, forming engagement' means on the edges of said panels and casting on said edge portions edge finishing members of ornamental character connecting said panel portions.

5. A process .of making cabinet structures which comprises forming a blank of sheet stock of substantially cross shape, having cut out portions at the meeting points of the arms of said ,rcross, forming said blank into box shape, turning WALTER PARK GRAY; 

